Sunday, April 29, 2012

I took this shot of The Jetsons era beauty looking up through the glass rain shield that covers the gift shop walkway. Seattlites are going dotty for their icon, as the Space Needle is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. Here's the Needle By The Numbers:605 feet tallOriginal cost: $4.5 millionRemodel cost in 2000: $21 millionVisited by 1.2 million people a yearRepainted 4 times, using 8,000 gallonsOn hot days, the Needle expands about 1 inchOpened to the public April 21, 1962Open 365 days per year

Here's a link to the live webcam on top of the Needle. You can manipulate the view to see out in any direction on the compass. So, check out the view from the top, and if you look in the right direction, you might see my house :-).

Friday, April 27, 2012

I was not the only photographer wandering around the base of the Fremont neighborhood's colossal Lenin statue late in the evening. I, however, did not have my tripod with me. This guy got some super night shots with his. His presence allows me to show you the scale of this controversial statue that is considered a neighborhood art novelty rather than a political work (full story hereof how this 16' bronze cast in 1988 came from Slovakia to reside in Washington State in 1994). As huge as he is, this is only the second largest sculpture in Fremont. The Fremont Troll (shown here) is two feet taller and much, much wider.